Learning to Take It

Receiving complements is something I really stink at. I am the reigning queen of deflection. Seriously. When any praise is handed to me, my standard m.o. is to say "thanks," but run down the list in my head of why they didn't really mean what they said.

I have come to realize how out of line that type of thinking is. When others complement God's creation (me) and I reject their complements, I am essentially calling God a liar. As I reread that last sentence, it looks a little crazy. Maybe if I share a recent example it may make more sense.

On Christmas Eve our church holds a special service. Many churches do this, I suspect. Anyway, I sang at the service. As I was gathering my things to leave, a few people approached me and shared their appreciation and complemented my talent. I said "thank you," but my brain immediately started in with:

- They have to say that because they're your friends.

- They just want to end the evening on a positive note...tomorrow is Christmas, after all.

- Only a couple of people even said anything. Everyone else is probably too embarrassed for me to even say a word to me.

Seriously, I am messed up when it comes to receiving complements. Now the world knows. Plus, I have just said all that stuff about someone whom God regards much more highly:

I am God's Temple - 1 Corinthians 3:16

I am Wonderfully Made - Psalm 139:14

I am Free from Condemnation - Romans 8:1

And just read this: "For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority." Colossians 2:9-10

I am complete. I am Wonderfully Made. I am Free from Condemnation. I am God's Temple. To say I am less than any of these things is to call God a liar.

When someone says "Great job," I need to say "Thanks," receive it and believe it.

I've just covered the why - I found a great article that covers the how to. Follow this link to read more about how to take a compliment.